What's in a Name
by AniJay
Summary: When Brin became Timber Wolf, he wanted to forget all about his past, including his name. To him, Brin Londo is nothing more than a memory of his lost humanity, but can someone show him that he is more than Timber Wolf?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, this is my first ever fanfiction. I hope that you enjoy the story, and if you leave a review, I prefer constructive criticism, since it is hard to know what to fix when someone simply "doesn't like" my writing. I do not own LOSH (obviously)._

Chapter 1

Going from living in the wild forests of Rawl to now living in the crowded Legion tower in the middle of New Metropolis was a huge adjustment for Bri- no. Timber Wolf. That was his name now. After being sworn in to the Legion of Superheroes, Timber Wolf was determined to go by his new identity. As far as he was concerned, Brin Londo was dead. Being Timber Wolf allowed him to start his life over again and bury the painful memories of his past along with his former name. So much of his life had been taken from him and now it was time to reclaim it, starting with his new name.

He wandered around Legion Tower familiarizing himself with the layout as he searched for his room. Brainiac had simply assigned Timber Wolf an empty room before closing himself in his lab, leaving the feral teen to figure things out on his own. He breathed in the smell of the tower, taking in the many different scents to form a picture in his mind about the others that lived there. He readily recognized the five scents that he associated with the legionnaires who had brought him here. There was a salty, buttery scent that clung to Bouncing Boy, along with the smell of motor oil from working on the spaceship. Brainiac also had the same mechanical smell along with a metallic scent that came from his robotic parts. Superman's scent was clean and fresh, like the air of the great outdoors, but that was strongly overpowered by the cologne often worn by Lightning Lad to impress Saturn Girl. Timber Wolf almost grinned. He didn't need enhanced senses to tell him that Lighting Lad had feelings for the girl who smelled like fresh flowers and sunshine. A myriad of other scents mixed with the five he already knew, scents that would sooner or later be matched to people as he met them. He only hoped that the other legionnaires would accept him as he was because there was no going back from the monster he had been turned into.

"Brin?" Saturn Girl's voice jolted him back to the present.

Timber Wolf growled at the name. "The name's Timber Wolf now. Brin is dead."

"How do you figure that?" she asked.

He turned his gaze to meet hers. As a telepath, she would be able to read his thoughts and feelings without him having to verbalize them. He thought about all that Brin had suffered and lost and about the fear, pain, and helplessness he had felt before he became Timber Wolf. He thought about how he wanted to forget his past and live in the present. He expressed his wish that everyone forget who Brin Londo was and only remember him as Timber Wolf.

After a moment of taking all this in, Saturn Girl nodded thoughtfully. "I don't usually alter people's thoughts, but I could put up a block in everyone's mind, except yours, so that they remember everything except your name. That way it will be up to you to share it if and when you are ready. Would that satisfy you?"

"Yes," Timber Wolf said gratefully. He hadn't been sure if she'd be willing to help him, much less even consider what she was offering, but here she was, giving him far more help than he had any right to expect.

"You're a Legionnaire now. You are entitled to any and all help we have to offer," she responded to his thoughts. He stiffened when she went to place a hand on his shoulder. After spending so much time trapped in the mind and body of a monstrous beast who had to fight for his survival every day, physical contact of any type still felt like a threat to him. Saturn Girl immediately withdrew her hand. "Just remember, you're part of the team now. You aren't on your own anymore. You're going to have to learn to ask for help and accept it from others. Can you do that?"

"I'll work on it," he promised.

"Good." Her eyes flashed white. "I'm placing a mental block over your name so that you will be the only one who has that information."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" He fidgeted uncomfortably. Part of him felt guilty for asking her to do something she considered wrong on his behalf, but the other part was secretly glad that his past was now buried with his former identity. If what she said was true, then he didn't ever have to be reminded of his past by someone accidentally slipping up by calling him anything other than Timber Wolf.

"I'm sure. Not even I can use your former name unless you tell it to me," she promised.

"Thank you." He wished that he could better express himself, but being alone for so long had left him out of practice in the art of communication.

She accepted his thanks with a gracious nod. "Glad to help. By the way, Brainiac told me that some of the other legionnaires will be coming back today. Do you want to meet them in the hangar?"

Timber Wolf tensed. New people. He knew that he would eventually have to meet the rest of the team sooner or later, but he wasn't quite sure about meeting them in a group. He had just barely gotten accustomed to the five he met when he first joined the Legion, and the thought of a group was too much. His unease must have shown all over his face since Saturn Girl told him, "If you don't want to, that's fine. I can understand that it might be overwhelming right now, so don't worry, I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet everyone sooner or later."

He turned away. "Yeah, later. I'll just… go find my room for now."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine," he assured her before disappearing down the hall, leaving her to welcome the others back from their mission. He found an elevator and told it the floor number that matched the room number he had been given. As it hissed open on the tenth floor, he glanced down both halls outside the elevator doors to ensure that he was alone. He didn't want to look like a complete idiot as he looked at the number of each room to find the one he had been given. When he finally found the right one, he used the passcode he had been given to open the door.

The room was sparsely decorated with a bed, a desk with a chair, a dresser, and a closet. There was a bathroom that looked as if it was shared between both his room and the room next door as it had a door on both sides, one of which was closed at the moment. Since he hadn't taken anything when he left Rawl, he didn't have anything to unpack. His golden eyes scanned the room and he caught sight of a pile of neatly folded sheets and blankets for his bed. Wow, _his_ bed. He hadn't slept in one in so long that he wasn't sure how tonight would go. For lack of anything better to do, he made his bed and promptly settled in. He sighed in contentment, the stress and tension slowly leaving his body as he was finally allowed some time to relax and sort through the events of the past two days.

After confronting his father, he knew that staying on Rawl wasn't an option, and when the Legion had offered him a place on their team, it had seemed like an answer to his problem. It provided him a place to stay and something to do to try and rebuild his life into something meaningful. The idea of saving others who were as helpless as he had once been was encouraging. It made him think that maybe he could use the monster his father had created as a force for good. He felt that if he could help save the lives of others, then he might have a shot at reclaiming some sense of the humanity he had lost. Thinking about how the Legion had given him the shot at a life worthwhile, Timber Wolf drifted asleep, grateful for the second chance he had been given.


	2. Chapter 2

_Aaaannnd… here we have our second chapter. I've been meaning to post it sooner, but both work and life had something to say about the timing of it. Obviously, I do not own LOSH. _

Chapter 2

"_Son, I need you to come to the lab. I have a vaccine for you," Mar Londo's face appeared on the telecommunicator in Brin's room, interrupting his reading._

"_What do I need a vaccine for? I'm not sick or anything." Brin barely spared a glance at his father as he continued with his book. Ever since his mother died, his father had buried himself in experiments, leaving him to essentially fend for himself. The only interactions they seemed to have were when his father wanted to run tests to "make sure he was still healthy". To Brin, his father's concern seemed a bit excessive, but he guessed that losing his mother made his father worry that much more about losing him. While Brin did his best to get along with his father and accommodate his father's concerns for his health, sometimes, like now, he questioned the necessity of so many tests and vaccines._

"_Please, son, this vaccine will make you stronger by increasing your healing rate and improving your-"  
"Fine," he cut his father off before he started on some long, scientific explanation about how this latest vaccine was supposed to make him better. He had been getting vaccines and shots a lot more often as of late, but he didn't care to hear all the explanations that went with them. He just did it to make his father feel better. Closing his book with a sigh, he said, "I'll see you in a bit."_

"_Thank you, Brin." His father smiled. "See you in the lab."_

_Inwardly, he shuddered at that last bit his father said. Brin hated his father's lab. There were all sorts of frightening and grotesque-looking creatures that his father had locked up until he had need of them for his experiments. Even though Brin knew that every scientist needed test subjects, he couldn't help but wonder if his father might be taking things just a little too far with his. Still, it wasn't his place to question his father, so he kept silent. _

_As he entered the lab, he noticed that the normal table had been replaced with one that was cross-shaped. "What's with the new table?"_

"_This serum will enhance your metabolism and increase your healing capabilities, which will protect you from almost any injury." His father turned to face him, a needle in his hand. _

"_Serum?" Brin took an involuntary step back, his back bumping against the lab door which had closed behind him. A red light in his peripheral vision told him that not only was the door closed, it was also locked. Warily eyeing the sharp needle, he said, "I thought you said it was a vaccine."_

"_Oh, yes, that's what I meant to say." His father let out a slight laugh. "You know how I get carried away and start mixing terms. Anyway," he gestured to the table with his free hand, "it's going to be a little jarring, so I need you to lie down. It's nothing to worry about, just trust me. Okay son?"_

_Despite the strange uneasiness that had settled in his stomach, Brin did as his father asked. He forced down his anxiety, telling himself that his father wouldn't do anything to hurt him. The needle pricked his skin, and he felt whatever was inside the needle enter his arm. His limbs started feeling heavier and soon he couldn't move them at all. Struggling to speak, he forced out, "What's… going…on?"_

"_Don't worry. It's just the first part of the procedure," his father said, strapping Brin's wrists to the arms of the table and attaching sensors to his arms. He placed a breathing mask over Brin's face as he continued, "Soon, this will all be over and you will be so much more than you were before."_

_Brin watched in horror as his father made his way around the lab setting everything up for his experiment. This couldn't be happening. His father wouldn't do this to him. He wouldn't. Fear gripped his body, and he wanted desperately to fight his way free, but he was now helpless to do anything except watch. His father turned to his machinery and pulled a lever. Immediately, Brin's veins were on fire. He could feel his body changing as his bones cracked and popped, increasing significantly in size and shape. Fur grew on him from head to toe and his nails hardened into claws. Everything __**hurt**__ and the control he regained over his limbs resulted in his thrashing violently against his restraints, tearing the flesh at his wrists as he fought the transformation. He screamed in pain, trying to get away – to free himself. _

"_Brin! Don't fight it! Let the serum so it's work! Brin! Stop!"_

"Timber Wolf!"

Timber Wolf's eyes snapped open as he shot up from bed, breathing hard. He looked around in a panic, trying to figure out the unfamiliar surroundings. Pounding from the door of what he now recognized was his room drew his attention. He heard a voice call his name again.

"Hold on," he called as he stumbled his way towards the door. He pushed the button, opening the door to come face to face with Superman.

Worried blue eyes met his as Superman asked, "Are you alright? I heard yelling."

"I'm fine," Timber Wolf stated firmly. "I just- I had a nightmare. I'll be alright." He looked down. "I didn't bother anyone else, did I?"

"No, I was the only one who heard you," Superman told him, still looking concerned.

"Good." Timber Wolf turned back to his room. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he jerked away, suppressing a snarl. Turning a flat stare to his shocked teammate, he said, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."

Superman stepped back. "Well, good night then."

"Good night," Timber Wolf replied shortly before retreating back into his room. As the door closed, he leaned back against it, sliding down to the ground as he pulled his knees to his chest. He leaned his forehead against his knees and forced his heart to slow back down to a normal pace. He reminded himself, _It's over. It's not happening again. It's over. He's not here. _Repeating this over and over to himself, he eventually fell back asleep, exhaustion finally claiming him.

The next morning, Timber Wolf slowly woke up, wondering what he was doing leaning against the door. Memories of the night before trickled back to him and he felt his face flush with embarrassment, not that anyone would be able to tell underneath the grey fur. He was glad that the only witness to his meltdown was the forever reliable Superman, who he knew wouldn't tell anyone else about what had transpired. He stretched, working out the kinks in his joints from falling asleep in his crouched position before standing up and making his way to the shower. He was glad to see that it was already stocked with towels and other toiletries as he got undressed.

Ten minutes later he was already feeling much better, the hot water relaxing his aching muscles and the shampoo getting rid of any remaining scent that served as a reminder of his time on Rawl. For the first time, he actually felt almost human again. As he left the bathroom and entered his room with a towel around his waist, he realized that he didn't have any other clothes besides the uniform he had been given upon his arrival. Wondering how he was going to manage asking for a clean uniform while only in a towel, he almost missed the sound of someone outside his door.

"Hey, just so you know, Bouncing Boy told me that you might need this," said a feminine voice that he didn't recognize. He assumed it must be one of the legionnaires that had arrived yesterday. He looked at the door, debating on whether he should answer or not. There was a brief silence before the voice said, "So I don't know if you're even awake or listening, but anyways, the kitchen is on the top floor inside the sitting bay, so if you're hungry, that's where you'll find breakfast. It was nice talking to your door."

He lunged for the door to apologize for his lack of manners, but when he opened it, whoever had been there was now gone. Inhaling, he took in the lingering scent of jasmine from the hall and committed it to memory so that he could match a face to the scent. He glanced down at the floor and saw a folded uniform that looked exactly like the one he wore the day before, except that this one was clean. He quickly gathered the clothes and went back into his room to get dressed.

After pulling on his uniform, he looked around for his gloves. So far, no one had asked about the hideous scars on his wrists, and he wanted to keep it that way. The less questions people asked the better. Once he had his gloves on, he took a moment to prepare himself for meeting the other members that had arrived yesterday before he left his room. As he entered the elevator, he used his enhanced senses to get an estimate of how many people were in the tower. Including the scent of the person who had left him a change of clothes, he counted at least three unknowns. He allowed the soft hum of the elevator to help calm his nerves until it came to a stop at the top floor.

Exiting the elevator, he heard two female voices and one male voice coming from the closed doors of what he assumed was the sitting bay. He opened the doors and made his way to the kitchen as quietly as possible. A boy with dark hair, wearing a black and purple uniform, was arguing with a girl who was wearing a black and white uniform, her long, black hair pulled back by white barrettes. The smell of jasmine mixed with traces of lavender told him that this was the girl who had been outside his door earlier. In between the arguing legionnaires stood another girl with white hair streaked with purple and orange and a tri-colored uniform that matched her hair.

"Honestly, if you've got a problem with me making breakfast, than maybe you should go somewhere else to eat," the raven-haired girl fumed. Irritation rolled off of her in waves as she argued with the boy in front of her, who Timber Wolf could sense was equally irritated.

"I don't have a problem with you making breakfast, just with you almost burning down the tower with us in it!" the boy shouted back.

"Phantom Girl, Cosmic Boy, you guys need to stop!" the white-haired girl exclaimed.

"It was an _accident_," spat Phantom Girl. "It's not like I'm used to cooking, and I was doing just fine before you started interfering!"

"Interfering!? I was _trying_ to – "

Timber Wolf coughed loudly, hoping to distract the two arguing legionnaires and give the third one a break. Immediately, silence settled in the kitchen as they were alerted to his presence. He stood there awkwardly, suddenly unsure of himself, as he felt the alarm and apprehension of two of his new team members. Phantom Girl's, reaction, however, confused him. Instead of fear or apprehension, he sensed anger, and it was reflected in the glare that he saw her direct towards her teammates.

Phantom Girl looked at Triplicate Girl and Cosmic Boy's frozen expressions. Irritation took over when she noticed that the new legionnaire was clearly uncomfortable. The other two's obvious reactions showed that they found his feral appearance unsettling and it made her angry. Watching him join the Legion from onscreen should have given them fair enough warning as to what to expect when they met him, but apparently her fellow Legion members had forgotten about the new addition, along with their manners. Honestly, she didn't see what their problem was. A wolf-like teen was nowhere near as unsettling as Tharok or Validus.

Deciding to break the tension, she pushed Cosmic Boy out of the way, ignoring his protest as she walked over to the newbie. "So, I see you found your way after all. Timber Wolf, right?"

"Uh, um, yeah," Timber Wolf muttered in response.

"I'm Phantom Girl. Welcome to the team." She held out her hand and waited expectantly. After a few moments' hesitation, he finally reached out to shake her hand. She tightened her hold when he went to pull his hand away and dragged him over to meet the others, pretending to be oblivious to his worried glances at the other two legionnaires. If they weren't going to behave properly on their own, then she'd just have to help them out.

"Come and meet the others," she said brightly. Pointing to her teammates, she introduced, "This is Triplicate Girl and _that_," she said with a roll of her eyes, "is Mr. I-Have-a-Stick-Up-My-"

"Phantom Girl!" Cosmic Boy snapped, sharply cutting her off. She met his glare with an expectant look that clearly communicated, _Well? _before tilting her head to indicate the boy next to her.After a slight pause, he held out his hand stiffly to Timber Wolf. "My name is Rokk, but I go by Cosmic Boy, leader and one of the founders of the Legion of Superheroes."

Phantom Girl felt Timber Wolf's grip tighten around hers as he hesitated once again. The motion drew her attention to the fact that she was still holding onto his right hand, and she immediately let go with a muttered apology before stepping away, willing herself not to blush. She saw a strange look on his face as he slowly turned to Cosmic Boy and quickly shook hands with the Legion's leader before pulling his hand back at his side. "Nice to meet you."

"So, what's your name?" Cosmic Boy asked conversationally.

Timber Wolf's expression darkened. He stiffly responded, "Timber Wolf."

Cosmic Boy let out a short laugh. "No, I'm sorry. What I was asking was, what's your real name?"

"I just go by Timber Wolf."

Phantom Girl saw the feral teen's clawed hands clench into fists at his sides and silently hoped that Rokk wouldn't press the issue. But in true Cosmic Boy fashion, his eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as he said, "I don't understand. It's protocol for every legionnaire to have a file with their codename, real name, and any other important background information. We need that information so that in the event that something happens to you, we know who to contact. Surely Brainiac must have told you."

Timber Wolf's claws dug even further into the palms of his hands and his eyes darted around anxiously as if looking for an escape. Clearly his background was not something he wished to discuss. Seeing that this could get messy, Phantom Girl intervened before Cosmic Boy could make a bigger deal out of Timber Wolf's lack of meeting "protocol".

"Oh, stuff it, Cosmic Boy," she said, ignoring Timber Wolf's surprised look as she crossed her arms, facing down her leader. "I know it's hard for you to get through that _Rokk_-hard head of yours, but the world doesn't revolve around your precious protocols. If he wants to share his name with you, then he can do it when he's good and ready."

Cosmic Boy's sharp gaze hardened on hers. She knew he didn't like being challenged, but she was fully prepared to stand her ground. He was cut off from saying anything by Triplicate Girl, who really didn't like confrontation between teammates. "Hey, Cosmic Boy, didn't you say you had to get ready to leave for a mission out in the field?"

"Yes, you're right. I've got more important things to worry about than wasting my time arguing with her Highness," Cosmic Boy replied, still glaring at Phantom Girl. She met his angry look with one of her own, refusing to back down. Snorting in haughty indignation, he brushed past everyone and left the sitting bay.

Triplicate Girl sighed, turning back to Phantom Girl and Timber Wolf, who had remained unnaturally still throughout Phantom Girl's little spat with Cosmic Boy. "Honestly, was that necessary, Phantom Girl?"

"Yes."

"But he's going to be gone for a long time. Maybe you should apologize before he leaves," Triplicate Girl suggested, trying to be the peacemaker, as usual.

Knowing that she had wounded Cosmic Boy's pride and that he would carry his wounded ego until she smoothed things over, Phantom Girl sighed. "Fine, I'll apologize to him later, but he seriously needs to learn when to back off."

"Good," Triplicate Girl responded, clapping her hands. She walked out of the kitchen and across the sitting bay, getting ready to leave. Before she pushed the button to open the sitting bay doors, she turned back. "Well, um, it was nice meeting you, Timber Wolf, but I also have to get ready for another mission too, so I'll see you around. Welcome to the Legion," she said with a smile before she also left.

As soon as the doors _whooshed_ closed behind Triplicate Girl, Phantom Girl let out a deep breath. Dealing with interpersonal relationships was _not _her forte. She leaned back against the counter behind her and noticed Timber Wolf glancing at her curiously. She raised her grey eyes to look into his golden ones directly. She was determined to treat him as normally as possible to show him that she wasn't afraid of his appearance. "Sorry about them. He's a stickler for 'protocol' and I'm pretty sure that his heart and his mind don't connect. That is, _if _he has a heart. As for Trip, she's nice but she's a little shy. Once she gets used to you, everything will be perfectly fine."

When he didn't respond, she turned to the stove behind her. She looked down at the pan that held something that was supposed to be bacon but actually looked like charcoal. She sighed heavily. Cooking wasn't something she really knew how to do, but when she had gotten up there hadn't been anyone else in the sitting bay or kitchen so she had tried. Tried and failed. She took the pan over to the trash and started scraping out the burned remains of the bacon.

"I can help you with that, if you'd like," he offered.

"Really? Can you cook?" she spun to face him, forgetting the pan she still held. His hand flew out, catching the pan mid-swing before it hit him. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Yes, I can," he said, taking the pan from her. She moved out of his way as he began gathering the things he needed. She sat down at a table that was just outside the kitchen's cooking area and watched. He moved around the kitchen with a lithe grace that she wasn't sure was part of his "abilities" or simply just him. She envied the familiarity he seemed to have with cooking at the same time that she noticed his edginess had faded away. Here in the kitchen, he didn't hesitate or tense up like she had seen him do earlier. Phantom Girl wondered what had happened to make him so unsure of himself and wary of others.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" she asked as he set a plate in front of her when he was finished. The crisp bacon, scrambled eggs, and buttered toast looked far more appetizing than anything she would ever be able to make, that was for sure.

"My mother," he answered quietly, sitting across from her with a plate of his own.

Phantom Girl took a bite of her breakfast. "Wow," she breathed in surprise, "this is amazing! You'd better keep those awesome skills of yours a secret before you turn into the official team cook."

"As long as I don't have to do the dishes, I don't think I'd mind," he said with a slight grin.

Phantom Girl responded with a smile of her own as they ate in companionable silence. She thought that she should make the most of the time she had before he found out who her mother was. Once people found out she was the President's daughter, many of them stopped treating her normally. She feigned indifference, but in truth, she hated the fact that many of the Legion members thought the only reason she was allowed on the team was due to her mother's influence. There were precious few Legionnaires who respected her and treated her like she truly belonged. Those Legionnaires were the ones that she had known since the Legion first formed when they all were much younger and to whom she had already proven herself. As for the others… she wished that once, just once, they would treat her as an equal, not a porcelain doll, not a hindrance, not a burden, and not the President's spoiled, helpless daughter.

"Are you alright?"

Timber Wolf's question brought Phantom Girl's attention back to the present. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting lost in my thoughts is all." She shook her head. "I think I'm just tired from my trip. I should probably get some rest before I hand in my report to Brainy."

"Oh, ok," he said, though the look he gave her seemed too perceptive for comfort.

Casting about for something to say to get the attention off her, Phantom Girl pointed to his flight ring with her fork. "Did someone show you how to use that yet?"

Timber Wolf shook his head. "Not yet. I only joined the Legion yesterday."

"Well, if you want, I could –" she began, but abruptly cut off when she saw the sitting bay doors open once again as Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl walked in. She quickly rose from her chair, grabbing her plate and disappearing into the kitchen to hide the evidence of her failed cooking attempt. Lighting Lad would never let her live it down if he knew.

As she busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen, she heard Saturn Girl ask kindly, "Good morning, Timber Wolf, how are you settling in?"

"Fine, I think. I met Triplicate Girl, Cosmic Boy and Phantom Girl this morning."

Lightning Lad laughed. "You mean, her Highness? Madame President's daughter?"

"_Phantom Girl _is the president's daughter?" Timber Wolf asked. "I thought that someone of that importance would have bodyguards or something, not be out fighting dangerous criminals. Isn't it dangerous for her to be a part of the team? What if she gets hurt?"

Overhearing the conversation, Phantom Girl's eyes narrowed. She looked down at the dishes in her hands, forcing her expression to look neutral. _Why does it always have to be like this? _She struggled for a moment, torn between simply phasing her way out before anyone saw her and going out there to set him straight. She could disappear and act like she hadn't heard, but then again, backing down would be a sign of weakness. Her grey eyes hardened. She was not weak, despite what he might think. She was a legionnaire, and she'd show him that she didn't need extra protection, President's daughter or not.

Squaring her shoulders, Phantom Girl stepped out of the kitchen and closer to the eating area. She was aware of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad's attention turning to her, but her cold glare was directed straight at Timber Wolf. "No, actually, it's not as dangerous as you'd think." She stormed over to where he sat and slammed her hands on the table as she leaned forward to say, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and believe me, I certainly wouldn't need _your_ help, Wolfboy."

She turned away from the stunned "Wolfboy" and flicked her eyes over to Lightning Lad. "Before you go shooting your mouth off again, don't forget that this _Highness _is the one who helped get you a spot in the Galactic Games. Best be ready to leave in twenty minutes if you still want to go." She held her head high as she strode to the doors leading out of the sitting bay. Phasing through the door and disappearing down the hall, she locked away her feelings of disappointment and went to patch things up with the other Legion member she'd had a disagreement with in the course of the morning before he left.

_One week later…_

The Galactic Games proved to be far more eventful than originally planned. With having to deal with dating advice from her mother, finding out that the Fatal Five were trying to assassinate her mother, watching Superman get recognized for his bravery (nevermind her own involvement in the saving of her mother), and discovering the truth about Lightning Lad's brother rigging the game so that he would win, it was all a little much to handle in just one day. Once everything had settled down and she was sure her mother was safe, Phantom Girl quickly grabbed Superman and Lightning Lad so they could get back to Legion Tower as soon as possible. She'd rather face the Fatal Five again then stick around long enough for her mother to force her on a blind date.

All she wanted was to get back home, go to her room, and enjoy some peace and quiet. What she did _not _want was to exit the jet and see Timber Wolf waiting for them in the hangar. She didn't know why he was there, and frankly, she didn't care. He had already made it clear how he viewed her, so she wasn't at all concerned with listening to a lame apology meant to soothe his own guilty conscience. For all she cared, he could choke on his apology. It wouldn't make any difference to her.


	3. Chapter 3

_So this here is a short chapter, but I promise that the next one will be longer. However, it might take me a little while before I add it. Until then, enjoy. _

Chapter 3

Four days after the three legionnaires had left for the Galactic Games, the story of the attack on the president aired on the news. Timber Wolf watched them fight the Fatal Five with help from some of Lightning Lad's competitors in the Games and seen Phantom Girl right in the middle of everything, fighting to protect her mother and the other state officials. Now, Superman had sent word that the three of them were on their way back and should be arriving in an hour or so after traveling for two days. Timber Wolf was anxiously awaiting their return because he was hoping to clear some things up with Phantom Girl.

It had been a week since Timber Wolf had last seen her. When he replayed that morning he'd had breakfast with her, he realized that she'd overheard what he'd said and taken it personally. He had meant to apologize right away, but he hadn't gotten the chance before she and the other two left for the Galactic Games a week ago. Now that they were on their way back, he wanted to talk to her before he lost another chance to clear the air.

He was waiting in the hangar when they landed. The jet's door hissed open, and Lightning Lad was the first off, followed by Superman and then Phantom Girl. Timber Wolf welcomed them back and offered to help them with their luggage, an offer that Lightning Lad took to heart as he dumped his bags in Timber Wolf's hands and walked out of the hangar, tossing a "Thanks man!" over his shoulder. Superman simply smiled and shook his head as he asked how things had been at the Tower. Timber Wolf hoisted Lightning Lad's bags over his shoulder and started telling Superman about how he was getting better at using his flight ring when Phantom Girl strode in between them, her eyes fixed straight ahead as she carried her own suitcase, adamantly ignoring his existence.

"Is everything okay?" Superman asked.

Timber Wolf sighed. "I may have said something that made her mad. I thought that I could apologize when you guys got back, but…"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Superman said. "She'll give you the silent treatment for a bit, but trust me, she'll have it out with you sooner or later just to clear the air."

"Great… I can hardly wait," Timber Wolf responded glumly. 

After leaving the hangar, Phantom Girl went straight to her room on the eleventh floor to unpack. She didn't want to risk running into Timber Wolf again. She hadn't quite decided how she was going to deal with him yet, but she certainly didn't want to have to go on any missions with him any time soon. The last thing she wanted (or needed) was a babysitter who interfered with her ability to fight. Legionnaires who viewed her as a helpless bystander would often place themselves in-between her and a criminal, and the results were never good. Teamwork relied on trust and faith in each other, and any doubt in her ability to protect herself only served to complicate dangerous situations as those particular teammates tried to fight _for_ her instead of side-by-side _with_ her.

"Phantom Girl," Brainiac's voice called from her communicator.

"What is it Brainy?" she responded with a roll of her eyes as she finished putting her things back where they belonged in her closet. Honestly, she'd just gotten back. What could he possibly want?

"I need you to send me your report on the attack during the Galactic Games."

Phantom Girl sighed and flopped on her bed. Leave it to Brainy to be on top of everything. Heaven forbid Mr. 12th-Level-Intelligence let a report be filed a day late. "Why can't Lightning Lad do it? Or what about Superman? They were both there too."

"Superman has already left the Tower for the rest of the afternoon, and you know that Lightning Lad will just ignore it anyways," came Brainiac's matter-of-fact tone.

"Fine," she huffed, sitting up and pulling a computer onto her lap so she could file the mission report for the incident with the Fatal Five.

"Thank you," Brainiac said robotically before he cut out.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered under her breath, starting in on her report. It took her an hour and a half to make sure she had everything in her report before she was satisfied. She sent the file to Brainiac and lay back on her bed to relax. Phantom Girl had barely started to drift off when she got an emergency alert telling her to go to the Superman Museum immediately. 

Phantom Girl, Lightning Lad, and Timber Wolf arrived at the Superman Museum shortly after Saturn Girl and Brainiac. Phantom Girl and the others spread out to survey the wreckage of the Museum as Superman quickly explained about how he accidentally triggered some sort of machine and unleashed someone calling himself Drax.

"Well whoever this 'Drax' is, he sure did a number on this place," Lightning Lad said.

Saturn Girl ignored his comment and asked where Drax might be from, but Superman said he had been more interested in attacking than talking. Brainiac, however, seemed more interested in the machine that had been the cause of the problem in the first place. He launched into an explanation that involved something about it opening a gateway to inter-dimensional space, whatever that meant, and being trapped in some sort of molecular state… Blah, blah, blah.

"Ummm… Translation please?" Phantom Girl asked, cutting him off.

"A phantom? A ghost?" the humanoid robot responded sarcastically. "The only way in or out is through a device like this."

"It sounds awful!" Saturn Girl exclaimed.

"I believe that's the intent," Brainiac said seriously. "It's a prison."

"So, in other words, Mr. I've-Got-My-Own-Museum here, just caused a jailbreak," Lightning Lad mocked, coming to stand in front of a very guilty-looking Superman.

"Seriously, guys, I had no idea."

It was a little late for apologies, but considering that they had a much bigger problem on their hands than pointing fingers, Phantom Girl said, "An escaped prisoner as powerful as Superman loose in New Metropolis… The science police are going to _love_ that." An annoyed eye-roll completed her statement as she crossed her arms.

"Oh," Superman's voice redirected the team's attention back to him as he said, "Did I mention he had pets?"

"Pets!?" they all exclaimed in unison. Great. Perfect. Just perfect. As if a remarkably powerful villain with a grudge against Superman being released on New Metropolis wasn't enough, now destructive pets were being added to the mix. Phantom Girl's day was just getting better and better.


	4. Chapter 4

_So sorry for the long delay between updates. I had lots going on, but life has finally slowed down a bit and allowed me to work on this some more. Thank you for your patience and for the encouragement!_

Chapter 4

Finding Drax and his pets wasn't at all hard, but Timber Wolf had a feeling that sending them back was going to be another matter entirely. Sure enough, the moment Superman announced his intent to return him to his prison, Drax fought back with a vengeance.

"I'm going to guess… He doesn't like that idea," observed Phantom Girl, who had seemingly put aside her negative feelings aside for the moment. Timber Wolf was silently thankful for the change in behavior because he'd rather deal with her passive dismissal of his existence to being outright ignored. At least this way he _might _have a chance at getting through to her.

"THOSE are his PETS?" Lightning Lad exclaimed at the sight of the Drax's hideous monsters. The ugly creatures had more teeth than face, along with wickedly long claws and spiked tails… and also the ability to fly, apparently. Adrenaline filled the air as everyone braced themselves to deal with Drax's "pets". Saturn Girl quickly projected an illusion that allowed both her and Phantom Girl to deal with the two monsters while Lightning Lad and Timber Wolf went to go help Superman.

Lightning Lad was knocked out of the air when Drax threw a car at him, and Timber Wolf watched as the car sailed straight through the girls as Phantom Girl quickly phased both herself and Saturn Girl. Drax's monsters immediately went for the attack. Timber Wolf dropped down on their heads, slamming them into the street below before they even got close to the girls. He quickly glanced up to make sure that his teammates were alright.

"Ok, fine. You take over," Phantom Girl snapped, her hands on her hips. A red blast to a nearby bridge stalled any other comments she might have made. She called out to Superman and pointed to where the blast had hit. Superman turned his attention away from his opponent to fix the bridge, and Drax was immediately after him, getting ready to attack from behind. Phantom Girl, however, materialized in front of him saying, "I'm sorry, but Superman's busy right now, can I take a message?"

As Drax threw a punch towards the girl blocking his way, Timber Wolf decided to intervene. His healing factor gave him a better chance at surviving a hit from the super-powered creep. Even though Phantom Girl was effectively using her powers to evade and attack Drax to keep him distracted, Timber Wolf knew that all it would take was one little mistake on her part for Drax to cause some serious injury, but he wasn't going to let that happen . He had hardly taken a few steps when Drax's pets cut him off. He let loose a snarl as they started backing him into a corner. Above him, he noticed that Lightning Lad had taken over the fight with Drax. Satisfied that Lighting Lad would be alright, he turned his full attention to the monsters without worrying. He bared his sharp teeth in challenge to them, daring them to make a move. One of the monsters snapped its jaws in response, but before they could attack, Brainiac's long robotic fingers extended and electrocuted them. The monsters roared in pain.

"Thanks," Timber Wolf growled irritably at Brainiac as Drax's pets split apart. Thanks to the Coluan's interference, he was forced into picking one or the other instead of keeping both of their attention fixed on him. Of any of his team, Timber Wolf was the most suited for this type of threat. He stood a far better chance facing these creatures because of his own feral abilities, and the last thing he wanted was for any of the others to get hurt trying to capture or subdue them. Hesitating over which beast to go after, his decision was made when he saw wickedly sharp claws swiping at Phantom Girl, who was trying to handle it alone. He immediately threw himself in between girl and beast to take over for her.

"Hey! Fight your own monster!" she yelled at him.

Timber Wolf bit his tongue to keep from snapping at her. Was it really too much for her to say a simple "Thanks"? He was starting to wonder if it was even worth trying to apologize when she kept acting like such a spoilt child about everything. Maybe Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad had been right about calling Phantom Girl "her Highness" because she was certainly acting like it.

The monster abruptly stopped attacking him and veered off towards Drax, who was clutching his head in his hands. Timber Wolf flew after it and landed with the other legionnaires in front of the three escapees. They were all knocked back by a blast when one of the monsters set off an explosion with its eyes while the other carried Drax away by holding his cape in its mouth as the one who blasted the legionnaires quickly followed and the three of them disappeared. After they lost Drax, the Legion regrouped back at the tower to come up with another game plan.

...

The six of them gathered in the computer room to discuss their next course of action. Superman wanted to continue the chase, but Brainiac insisted that they needed to gather more information about their enemy. Personally, Timber Wolf agreed with Superman. "The science police don't stand a chance against this guy. They'll need our help," he pointed out from his crouched position on one of the chairs.

"Like they'll ever ask," Phantom Girl scoffed. Ever since the fight with Drax and his pets, she had been more sarcastic than usual. "We'll probably get blamed for all this too. Ugh," she sighed as she rolled her eyes in annoyance, "those guys _hate_ us."

From his position leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Lightning Lad sneered, "Gee, too bad no one _here_ can do anything about that."

"Lay off, Lightning Lad," Timber Wolf snapped. Between the fight with the creepy anti-Superman and his freakish pets, Phantom Girl's constant glares and negative comments, and now Lightning Lad's arrogant attitude, the feral teen was starting to get a massive headache.

"I'm just saying, since her mom _IS_ president of the galaxy…" Lightning Lad persisted obstinately.

Thankfully, Superman intervened and brought the conversation back to Drax before the argument could continue. Brainiac took the opportunity to fill everyone in about Drax's abilities and powers so that they knew what exactly it was they were dealing with. Finding out that the enemy they were facing was essentially Superman's equal in every way wasn't very encouraging, but for now, there was nothing they could do. It didn't seem likely that Drax would cause trouble anytime in the next few hours so they figured that they'd better make the most of it. They decided to resume the search the next day after they'd had a chance to get some sleep.

As soon as the six of them agreed to wait for the morning, everyone left the computer room to head to their own rooms to sleep. Timber Wolf walked down the hall to the elevator, very aware of the fact that Phantom Girl was going in the same direction. At first he thought that she was following him, but then it occurred to him that he had no idea where her room was, meaning that he didn't know how long he'd be stuck with the resentful tension he sensed radiating from her petite form. He did his best to remain emotionless and controlled as he pushed the elevator button, but he was caught off-guard when she spoke. "What floor are you on?"

"Ten," he replied hesitantly, carefully assessing her as she walked passed him once the doors slid open. He could tell that underneath her apparently blank expression, she was still seething. Her calm and collected charade was almost as amusing as it was frustrating. For all the intensity that Phantom Girl's emotions had, she might as well have been shouting them aloud. No matter what a person might try to hide from him, Timber Wolf could sense their emotions all too well. Unfortunately, being able to know what she was angry didn't do anything to help him figure out how to get her to stop being angry at him.

"Well, are you coming or are you planning on taking the stairs down?" she asked from inside the elevator, arms crossed and eyebrow arched as she tapped her foot, impatiently waiting for him to move.

Timber Wolf said nothing as he stepped in, the doors closing behind him. Thick silence hung between them, only broken by the _ding!_ when the doors opened for the eleventh floor where Phantom Girl exited and disappeared down the hall. Heaving a sigh of tired relief once the elevator reached his floor, he gratefully made his way to his room. He hoped that today's excitement had drained enough of his energy that he'd be able to sleep through the night without being haunted by his nightmares for once.


	5. Chapter 5

_I know the last chapter wasn't all it could be, but I just couldn't quite "see" that part of the story in my head as well as some of the other ideas I have floating around in there. Hopefully, this chapter will be an improvement on the last one._

Chapter 5

A sudden loud shout rudely shook Tinya from her sleep, and blearily checking the clock on her nightstand, she saw "3:00am" flashing at her in glaring red. She groaned at the miserable hour and turned over to try and find sleep once again, thinking that she had just been imagining things, but another shout jerked her fully awake. The second shout sounded as if it was coming from beneath her room, most likely just the next floor down. Since she had been part of the Legion for a while, she pretty much knew where everyone's rooms were, and to her knowledge the room underneath hers was still empty, so who was yelling?

The answer struck her as obvious after a moment of thought. _Timber Wolf_. He was the only one who had recently joined the Legion, and she remembered him saying that his room was on the tenth floor. Tinya bit her lip indecisively. Even though she was still upset with him for treating her like she needed extra protection because of her mother's position, she didn't think that he deserved this kind of punishment. After a slight hesitation, she pulled a silk black robe on over her nightgown. Angry or not, she didn't have it in her to let someone suffer the way he was suffering without doing anything to help.

She decided to skip using the elevator and hallways where she might be seen and just simply phased her way through the floor into the room below. She landed lightly on her feet so as to not make too much noise. Not that she needed to worry though, as the feral teen was currently thrashing around and tangling himself in his sheets. The more entangled he got, the more panicked he became. His growling was intermixed with frightened noises that seemed so opposite of the fierce fighter she'd seen taking on Drax's pets. Tinya had a feeling that Timber Wolf wouldn't want anyone seeing him like this, but if she could just get him free without waking him, then he would never know she was there in the first place. Besides, the last thing she needed was for him to think they were friends or something. She _was _still mad at him, after all. She quietly went over to him and carefully began phasing his limbs loose from the sheets, muttering under her breath as she did so. "Calm down, this will only take a minute. Once I'm done, I'll be out of your room, and no one will ever know I was here. This will be our little secret, ok? Because I'm still mad at you, you know, so don't you go thinking that this is going to change anything, _Wolfboy_."

Finally, once she had the sheet completely untangled, Timber Wolf had calmed down into a quiet sleep. She lightly shook the sheet out, draping it over him, and when she found a blanket that had been thrown on the floor, she gently pulled it over him. She ignored the fact that she had practically tucked him in the way her mother used to when she was a child still afraid of monsters under her bed as she levitated herself back up to her room to get a few more hours of sleep. Her last thought before she drifted off was, _This doesn't change anything_.

...

Four and a half hours later, the Legion's alert system received a police report that Drax was out destroying New Metropolis once again. Phantom Girl quickly dressed in her uniform as Brainiac gave everyone directions on their communicators. Phasing herself outside, she quickly met the others at the front of the tower before they took off to stop Drax. When she glanced around and caught Timber Wolf's gaze, she carefully kept her face expressionless. She had no intention of telling him about the night before, and she fully intended to continue on as if nothing had happened. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she had gone soft or forgiven him. She still had yet to figure out how she was going to find a way to coexist with him being on the same team, but that was a problem that she'd have to consider later. Right now, they had a job to do.

The closer they got to where Brainiac had said they'd find the escaped prisoner, the more everyone was on alert for danger. As soon as Phantom Girl caught sight of Drax's monsters running along the wide cable of a bridge, she swiftly dropped down and made the cable intangible, catching the creatures by surprise and making them fall through the air. Timber Wolf and Superman quickly flew at the beastly pair, slamming them together while Lightning Lad propelled them straight into the ground with a bolt of lightning. It wasn't enough. They were immediately ready to attack, one of the beasts rocketing into the air, the other smashing a hole in the street and disappearing underground. Lightning Lad, Superman, and Saturn Girl followed the one that took off in the air while Phantom Girl was left to help Timber Wolf, who was crouched at the edge of the hole created by the rampaging monster.

"The sewer." He glanced over his shoulder at her as she hovered behind him. "I'll go."

"Hold on a minute," she protested. He twisted from his crouched position to look at her as she flew around to glare at him with her hands fisted on her hips. She dropped to the broken street next to him. He nearly lost his balance trying to lean away from her as she leaned forward to challenge, "You think that just because I'm a _girl_ that I'm afraid to get my hands dirty?"

_Confusing_ and _frustrating_ were the only words that Timber Wolf could use to describe the girl currently invading his personal space. This morning he'd woken up to find that he was neatly covered by his sheets and blanket, which was strange. Usually when he woke up, the blanket was on the floor and his sheets were hopelessly tangled up or torn apart. Saturn Girl had already given him at least three new sets of sheets in the short time he had been there, but this morning, there had been no evidence of his restless sleep and nothing destroyed. The only explanation that he'd had to go by was the lingering smell of jasmine, which made no sense whatsoever. There was only one person who smelled like that, and he couldn't figure out why in the world Phantom Girl had been in his room. He had thought that maybe she had something to do with the fact that nothing had been destroyed during the night, but now as she stood here in front of him as the very image of indignation, he was having a hard time believing that she had helped him.

When he'd offered to go into the sewers, he was only trying to be nice. Yeah, to be honest, he didn't think that the sewer _was_ a place for a girl like her, but her affronted manner kept him from telling her so. He wisely kept his thoughts to himself as he met her haughty gaze. When Phantom Girl turned away to leap into the sewer to prove her point and exclaimed in disgust, he only allowed himself a satisfied smirk. _So much for not being afraid of getting her hands dirty_, he thought smugly as he quickly followed after her. Using his claws and heightened agility to navigate the walls of the tunnel, he followed the scent of Drax's pet while Phantom Girl's flight ring allowed her to hover in the limited space above the sewer water.

When he passed by her she tilted her chin defiantly as if to prove her point. "See? Told you I could handle being down here."

"I never said you couldn't." Timber Wolf kept his voice even.

She crossed her arms in front of her. She sounded like a petulant child as she said, "I just wish you'd stop trying to protect me."

He glared at her over his shoulder as he snapped back, "And I just wish you'd stop being such a _princess_. I was just being nice." He turned his attention back to the sewer, resuming his search and doing his best to ignore his bipolar teammate. Yesterday, she had been taciturn, angry and sarcastic, but last night she had helped him somehow, so he knew that she was capable of some level of caring. One minute she was sarcastic, the next she was nice, and then she was back to sarcastic. He just wanted her to pick one or the other. He could deal with it if she wanted to be distant acquaintances, just friends, or merely teammates who tolerated each other's existence. All he needed was for her to let him know which. For now, though, he took it as a personal victory when he bought himself a moment of silence from her constant criticisms.

That is, until she said, "Yeah? Well… _this _princess can take care of herself," in a haughty tone.

Timber Wolf kept his eyes straight ahead as he rolled his eyes. She just _had _to have the last word, didn't she? Heaven forbid she let something go without voicing a comeback. His thoughts were interrupted by a roar, closely followed by a loud splash, from behind him. He whipped around to see the monster they had been tracking as it leapt at Phantom Girl once again. He vaulted onto its back with a snarl, swiping at its face with his claws. Finally, something he could safely take his frustration out on.

"Timber Wolf!"

"Do you mind? I'm a little busy here!" He shouted, dodging a bite from the sharp teeth of Drax's creature as it snapped at him. When it charged at him, he managed to use its momentum against it, shoving its face into a wall. It crashed into the side of the tunnel with a loud bang and stumbled for a bit before falling into the dirty sewer water. Knowing that it was only temporarily stunned, he quickly turned to the princess still hovering in the air above the mess. "Well? What do you want?"

"If I lure it close enough, do you think you can trap it using these?" She pointed to the power lines running along the top of the tunnel.

"It'll be dangerous. Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked. While trapping the beast in the power lines was a good idea, he wasn't so sure about the part where she was the one luring it there.

"I am if you are," she responded confidently. She arched en eyebrow at him. "Why? Do you think I can't handle it?"

Timber Wolf thought it best to not answer that question since he didn't even know if there _was_ a right answer where she was concerned. However, he didn't sense any trace of fear from her, and he certainly didn't have a better idea…

A low growling alerted them to the monster regaining consciousness, so he gave her a quick nod and said, "We got this."

Once she had Timber Wolf's agreement, Phantom Girl flew right up into the face of the roaring creature to get its attention. It snapped at her intangible form repeatedly, blindly following as she led it closer and closer to the power lines where Timber Wolf was waiting to trap it. When she saw its attention waver, she solidified herself and aimed a kick at its face. She felt a grim satisfaction as it lunged past her, finally bringing it in range for Timber Wolf to capture it.

She kept out of his way as he quickly tangled the monster in the power lines until it could no longer move. Timber Wolf had just tightened the last knot when the monster got one last swat in and knocked him back into the sewer. Phantom Girl tried to hide her amusement at the mess he was in, but the look he gave her made her think that maybe she hadn't kept her face as neutral as she had thought. Instead of apologizing for amusement at his expense, she reached out a hand to help him back on his feet.

As Timber Wolf was shaking off the nasty water, Saturn Girl contacted them with an urgent message to get back to the Tower ASAP. She told them that Drax had used his pets as a distraction while he launched an attack on Brainiac at the tower. Saturn Girl said that Superman was already there fighting Drax, but he needed help. As soon as they heard that, Phantom Girl and Timber Wolf immediately started back to Legion Tower. They met Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad on the roof, quickly followed by Brainiac who had the projector in his hands just before Superman crash-landed a few yards in front of them.

"Why are you doing this?" Superman forced out as Drax hauled him up by his cape.

"Because I'm evil," said Drax matter-of-factly. "Always have been. Always will be."

"Then, clearly, you belong in jail," Brainiac declared. He extended the projector out to Superman.

"Sorry, Drax, but he's right," said Superman, aiming the projector at his evil twin to send him back to the confinement of the Phantom Zone.

Drax immediately released his hold on Superman's cape and started backing away. Phantom Girl noted the terror on his face at the mention of the Phantom Zone. It must truly be an awful place. Fear was written all over his face as he begged, "Stop, don't send me back there. You have no idea how it is. I'll go anywhere but there!"

It looked as if the fight was over when Drax looked down in defeat, but then he suddenly lunged at Superman. Both super-powered beings fought for control of the projector but instead of trying to take it away from Superman, Drax simply turned it towards the legionnaires. The five of them were quickly encased in a force-field that sucked them from New Metropolis and into a whole new dimension where gray bodies swirled around in a red fog that dominated the unsettling landscape that they now found themselves trapped in. So _this_ was the Phantom Zone.


End file.
